Speaker-phone base for a portable telephone

ABSTRACT

A speaker-phone base for supporting a portable telephone electrical interface, in which the interface having an interface electrical power connector and an interface audio connector, includes a base member. The base member defines a portable telephone electrical interface receptacle that is shaped so as to be capable of receiving therein a portable telephone electrical interface. A base electrical power connector is disposed within the receptacle so as to electrically engage the interface power connector when the interface is placed in the receptacle. The base electrical power connector is complementary to the interface electrical power connector and electrically coupled to an electrical power source. A base audio connector is also disposed within the receptacle so as to electrically engage the interface audio connector when the interface is placed in the receptacle. The base audio connector is complementary to the interface audio connector. A speaker and a microphone are each integral with the base member. A speaker-phone audio circuit is electrically coupled to the base audio connector, the speaker and the microphone. The speaker-phone audio circuit is capable of receiving a telephone audio signal from a portable telephone via the base audio connector and capable of causing the speaker to generate sound corresponding to the telephone audio signal. The speaker-phone audio circuit is also capable of receiving a voice signal from the microphone and transmitting a telephone transmit signal to a portable telephone via the base audio connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to telephone systems and, morespecifically, to a speaker-phones.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Portable telephones, such as cellular telephones, often haveattachments that allow hands-free operation. Some such attachmentsinclude headset systems and also speaker-phone attachments.Speaker-phone attachments allow the user to turn the portable telephoneinto a speaker-phone by tapping the audio signal from the portabletelephone, amplifying it and sending it to a speaker. Such attachmentsusually require connecting a jack on the telephone to the speaker-phoneattachment via a loose wire terminated by a plug. Plugging the plug intothe jack can be awkward and the loose wire sometimes gets tangled withother wires.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a speaker-phone attachment for aportable telephone that allows direct connection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of one illustrative embodiment ofthe invention.

[0007]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a second illustrative embodimentof the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described indetail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like partsthroughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughoutthe claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associatedherein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of“a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in”includes “in” and “on.”

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the invention 100 includesa speaker-phone base 140 for a portable telephone 102, such as acellular telephone. Typically, the portable telephone 102 will include ainterface jack 108 that houses an interface electrical power connector110 and an interface audio connector 112. Connected to interfaceelectrical power connector 110 is a power electronic circuit 106 thatdelivers electrical power from a battery 114 to the rest of thetelephone 102 and that controls charging functions for the battery 114.An audio electronic circuit 104 is connected to the interface audioconnector 112 and controls the telephony and audio functions of thetelephone 102.

[0010] The speaker-phone base member 140 defines a portable telephoneelectrical interface receptacle 146 that is shaped so as to be capableof receiving therein the interface jack 108 and the telephone 102.Disposed within the receptacle 146 is a base jack 130 that includes abase electrical power connector 134 and a base audio connector 132. Thebase electrical power connector 134 is complementary in shape andfunction to the interface electrical power connector 110, and the baseaudio connector 132 is complimentary in shape and function to theinterface audio connector 112.

[0011] A speaker 154 and a microphone 156 are also disposed in the basemember 146. A speaker-phone audio circuit 150 is electrically coupled tothe base audio connector 132, the speaker 154 and the microphone 156.The speaker-phone audio circuit 150 drives the speaker-phone aspect ofthe invention. The speaker-phone audio circuit 150 receives telephoneaudio signals from the portable telephone 102 via the base audioconnector 132 and causes the speaker 154 to generate sound correspondingto the telephone audio signal. The speaker-phone audio circuit 150 alsoreceives voice signals (sound) from the microphone 156 and transmitscorresponding telephone transmit signals to portable telephone 102 viathe base audio connector 132.

[0012] A power circuit 148 connects a power source (such as a battery154 or a utility electrical input 152) to the telephone 102 via theelectrical power connector 134. The power circuit 148 can performseveral functions, depending upon the specific application. For example,if the base member 140 includes both a battery 154 and a utilityelectrical input 152, then the power circuit 148 can control theswitching from the utility electrical input 152 to the battery 154 whenswitching from a fixed mode of operation to a portable mode ofoperation. In certain applications, the power circuit could also controlrecharging functions in the battery 114 of the portable telephone 102,thereby allowing for a smaller telephone 102. If the utility electricalinput 152 is not plugged into a utility power outlet, then the basemember 140 may be used as a portable speaker-phone, running off of thebattery 154.

[0013] A second embodiment of the invention 200, as shown in FIG. 2,includes an insert 220 that includes an insert jack 230, having an audioconnection 232 and a power connection 234, and an insert interface 235.The insert interface 235 includes a male power plug 238 and an audioplug 236. Similarly, the base member 240 includes a female power plug244, which is coupled to the power circuit 248, and an audio plug 242,which is coupled to the audio circuit 250, both disposed in thereceptacle 246. The insert 220 has a first side 222, that defines areceptacle cavity 226 in which the insert jack 230 is disposed, and anopposite second side 224. The second side 224 acts as a bottom interfacesurface that is complementary in shape to the base member receptacle246. The telephone 202 fits into the insert receptacle cavity 226,coupling to the insert jack 230. The insert 220 can be plugged intoeither a utility power wall socket (not shown) for direct recharging, orthe insert 220 can be plugged into the base member 240 for rechargingand for use as a speaker-phone.

[0014] In accordance with the invention, different types inserts 220could be made for different types of telephones. However each type ofinsert 220 could be compatible with a single type of common base member240, thereby allowing different telephones 202 to share a commonspeaker-phone base 240.

[0015] The above described embodiments are given as illustrativeexamples only. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations maybe made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specificationwithout departing from the invention. Accordingly, the scope of theinvention is to be determined by the claims below rather than beinglimited to the specifically described embodiments above.

What is claimed is:
 1. A speaker-phone base for supporting a portabletelephone electrical interface, the interface having an interfaceelectrical power connector and an interface audio connector, thespeaker-phone base, comprising: a. a base member defining a portabletelephone interface receptacle, the receptacle shaped so as to becapable of receiving therein a portable telephone interface; b. a baseelectrical power connector disposed within the receptacle so as toelectrically engage the interface electrical power connector when theinterface is placed in the receptacle, the base electrical powerconnector being complementary to the interface electrical powerconnector and electrically coupled to an electrical power source; c. abase audio connector disposed within the receptacle so as toelectrically engage the interface audio connector when the interface isplaced in the receptacle, the base audio connector complementary to theinterface audio connector; d. a speaker integral with the base member;e. a microphone integral with the base member; and f. a speaker-phoneaudio circuit electrically coupled to the base audio connector, thespeaker and the microphone, the speaker-phone audio circuit beingcapable of receiving a telephone audio signal from a portable telephonevia the base audio connector and being capable of causing the speaker togenerate sound corresponding to the telephone audio signal, thespeaker-phone audio circuit also being capable of receiving a voicesignal from the microphone and being capable of transmitting a telephonetransmit signal to a portable telephone via the base audio connector. 2.The speaker-phone base of claim 1, wherein the a base electrical powerconnector comprises a female electrical plug.
 3. The speaker-phone baseof claim 1, wherein the electrical power source comprises a utilitypower connector.
 4. The speaker-phone base of claim 1, wherein theelectrical power source comprises at least one battery cell.
 5. Thespeaker-phone base of claim 1, wherein the base audio connectorcomprises an audio plug.
 6. The speaker-phone base of claim 1, furthercomprising a telephone-specific insert portion for interfacing acellular telephone to the base member, the insert portion having a firstside that defines a cavity, complimentary in shape to a portion of acellular telephone, and an opposite second side that is complimentary inshape to a portion of the receptacle.
 7. The speaker-phone base of claim6, wherein telephone-specific insert portion comprises: a. an insertaudio connector, disposed adjacent the second side and complimentary inshape and disposition to the base audio connector; b. a telephone audioconnector, electrically coupled to the insert audio connector, disposedon the first side within the cavity, and shaped so as to be coupled toan audio connector of a cellular telephone; c. a male electrical plug,extending from the second side, complimentary in shape and dispositionto the base electrical power connector; and d. an insert powerconnector, electrically coupled to the male electrical plug, disposed onthe first side within the cavity and shaped so as to be coupled to apower connector of a cellular telephone.
 8. The speaker-phone base ofclaim 7, wherein the male electrical plug is complimentary to a femaleplug of an electrical wall outlet.